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MONC in Makana mayor illegally prevented

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Dear Editor

While the people of the Makana Municipality suffer due to a debilitating water crisis and service delivery collapse, the inept Makana mayor is being protected from being removed from power.

Yesterday, 20 June 2023, at a Makana special Council meeting the DA tabled a motion of no confidence in the Executive Mayor, Yandiswa Vara.

The motion was submitted on 24 May 2023 and dealt with the mayor’s inability to deal with the water crisis and service delivery collapse in the municipality.

The extended water crisis is crippling Makana, but the mayor has been silent on the issue and has not demonstrated any leadership. She has not communicated any message of assurance to the community or given residents any confidence that the crisis would be dealt with effectively.

Service delivery issues also reside with the mayor and in times of crisis she needs to communicate, and be available, present and visible. She has fallen far short of this.

During the Council meeting the ANC refused to allow discussion and debate on the motion, voting illegally to prevent the matter even being considered by Council. When the issue of whether Council would consider the motion was put to the vote, the ANC councillors voted against it being discussed, citing that the substance of the motion was untrue. This cannot be grounds for the matter not to be discussed, and would be the subject of debate. The DA voted in favour of it being discussed, while the MCF and EFF abstained from voting.

I have referred this issue to the DA EC Shadow MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Vicky Knoetze MPL, to take the matter up with the COGTA MEC, Zolile Williams.

She will be writing to the COGTA portfolio committee chairperson and MEC Williams to urgently deploy a delegation to visit the municipality.

It must be noted that more than 2500 residents of Makana signed a petition supporting the DA’s motion of no confidence in Mayor Vara. Residents have clearly had enough of her incompetence.

The DA will continue to challenge the municipality, the mayor and the ANC on issues that have a negative impact on our communities.

Regards

Cllr Luvuyo Sizani
DA Makana Caucus Leader

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